Chapter 25
“Then Lucian, you stay here. Auntie is going to have fun with the other kids!”
“What?!”
At least his jealousy towards me still worked.
“I think I’ll play hide-and-seek today! Or maybe tag would be more fun?”
“You’re leaving to play with the other kids without me?”
Lucian was extremely attached to me.
If Edwin was going to be invited to the mansion, it couldn’t be because of me. Lucian had to be the one to invite him as a ‘friend.’
Lucian couldn’t stay under my protection forever.
This was his life. I was only here to guide him. He needed to grow into someone who could stand on his own.
He had to form bonds with Edwin—or even with people other than me. That way, he could avoid danger and grow into a good person.
“But I really want to play tag… Too bad we need a lot of people to play.”
For now, I had to use Lucian’s jealousy, even if I felt a little guilty.
“Sigh… what a shame. It would have been so much fun.”
“…….”
“But since Lucian doesn’t want to, I guess I have no choice but to go alone.”
“…….”
“I bet everyone will ask about you. Why isn’t Lucian here? We missed him so much!“
With every word, Lucian’s small shoulders flinched.
I threw in the biggest bait.
“Amelia is coming too… I wonder what Lucian will do all alone here?”
“I-I’ll just go with you!”
Gotcha.
Lucella, Amelia, Claude, and I headed to the Busnier Orphanage.
Hearing the carriage arrive, the children rushed outside.
“Lucella! Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting!”
“Amelia, where have you been? We looked for you everywhere!”
“Who’s that tall man next to you?”
“It’s cold! Let’s talk inside.”
Ignoring the flood of questions, I led the children into the building.
Claude, a little overwhelmed by the excited kids, followed behind Amelia and me.
“Alright, listen up!”
I clapped twice to get their attention.
“First, let me explain why I couldn’t visit for a while. You all saw how much it snowed, right? I caught a cold and couldn’t come.”
“Ohh, I see!”
“That’s why we should always wash our hands!”
“And eat all our food, no being picky!”
The kids nodded and added their own comments.
“And this man here is Amelia’s uncle.”
“Uncle?”
Their wide eyes turned to Claude.
“Wait… does that mean—”
“Yes! I finally found my lost family!”
Amelia answered with a bright smile, holding Claude’s hand tightly.
“Wow, congratulations!”
“That’s amazing, Amelia!”
The kids cheered, their eyes filled with admiration.
Some of them looked at Amelia enviously, staring at the hand she held.
“Are you going home with your uncle?”
“Yes!”
“Then… you’re leaving us?”
A quiet voice spoke.
It was Edwin.
Amelia turned to him and slowly nodded.
“Mm.”
Edwin’s face darkened.
His eyes held emotions that were hard to describe—sadness, longing, jealousy.
His lips trembled as if he would burst into tears any second.
“Does that mean… we’ll never see you again?”
“Sniff… I’ll miss you so much!”
The other children started tearing up too.
“Don’t be too sad! She promised to visit often. Right, Amelia?”
“Of course!”
Amelia raised her fist confidently.
The other kids cheered up, but Edwin did not.
His gloomy face remained unchanged.
“Edwin.”
Amelia let go of Claude’s hand and walked over to Edwin.
She then hugged him.
“I’m sorry… for leaving you behind.”
“……What’s there to be sorry about? This is a happy thing. You wanted to find your family.”
“But you’re sad that I’m leaving.”
“…….”
“It is not the same as simply using your brain to understand, is it?”
Amelia patted Edwin’s back gently.
Seeing her act so maturely, Edwin’s eyes finally filled with tears.
“To be honest… I don’t want you to go.”
“Edwin…”
“I know it’s good news, and I should be happy for you, but…”
“…….”
“I want to tell you to stay.”
With those words, Edwin buried his face into Amelia’s shoulder.
Soon, his small body started trembling.
The boy who didn’t cry even after losing his mother was now sobbing in Amelia’s arms.
“Edwin, don’t cry…”
“If you cry, sniff, it’ll make me cry too!”
Seeing Edwin cry, the other kids also started tearing up.
Soon, the room was filled with sniffling and quiet sobs.
“Sigh… you little crybabies.”
I pulled the weeping children into my arms.
“You’ll see her again, you know? She’s not gone forever, so why are you all crying like this?”
I wiped their tear-streaked faces and patted their trembling backs.
“If you keep crying, a scary old man will come and take you away!”
“R-Really?!”
“Yup. My aunt told me so.”
Even Lucian, who had never comforted anyone before, started helping.
Well, rather than comforting, he was threatening them.
But it worked—the kids quickly stopped crying.
They definitely didn’t want to be taken away by a scary old man.
“D-Don’t cry…”
Claude also awkwardly patted the children with his stiff hands.
“Hic, mister, your voice is scary!”
“…Why am I a ‘mister’?”
Of course, it didn’t help much.
I chuckled as I watched Claude awkwardly wiping the children’s tears.
After crying their hearts out, the children immediately stopped when I mentioned snacks.
Today, I had prepared milk chocolate with almonds.
“It’s delicious!”
While the kids were fully distracted by their snacks, I quietly shifted over to Edwin.
He was clinging to Amelia like a little Koala.
Noticing that I had something to say to Edwin, Amelia quickly stepped away. Edwin’s eyes, full of longing, followed her as she walked off.
“Hey, Edwin.”
“…Thank you.”
Edwin, who had been staring at me blankly, suddenly lowered his head in gratitude.
“Huh? What for?”
“Amelia told me. She said you helped find her uncle and even saved him when he was in danger.”
“Did she?”
I hadn’t expected Amelia to say that.
“Amelia’s happiness is my happiness too. So, thank you for helping her.”
“Aww, how mature of you.”
I reached out and gently patted Edwin’s head as he bowed again.
He had grown up to be such a responsible and well-mannered boy all on his own. Was this the legendary ‘male lead buff’ at work?
“Lucian still acts like a baby, though.”
Compared to Edwin, who was so mature, Lucian felt even more childish, always causing trouble.
“Edwin, I wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
I handed Edwin a piece of chocolate and spoke.
“Would you like to visit our house next week?”
“Your house?”
Edwin’s big, deer-like eyes blinked in surprise at the sudden invitation.
“You mean… the Duke of Bellomon’s mansion?”
“You knew?”
“I heard Amelia and the teachers talking about it.”
“I see.”
Technically, it was Lucian’s house, but since I was living there too, it didn’t matter.
“You can come over, play knights with Lucian, and eat lots of delicious food.”
“But…”
Edwin lowered his gaze and fidgeted with his hands on his lap.
“I’m just a commoner… Is it really okay for me to go there?”
He was worried that someone like him shouldn’t step foot in a noble’s mansion.
I quickly shook my head.
“Don’t think that way, Edwin.”
“But still…”
“You’re Lucian and Amelia’s friend. And you’re also part of the orphanage I support. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t visit.”
